Rhode Island runs on small businesses. Restaurants, retail shops, service providers: they are the backbone of this state’s economy, and they face a distinct set of legal challenges that larger companies have entire departments to handle. The contracts you use every day carry more risk than most owners realize. A service agreement pulled off the internet, a handshake deal, an independent contractor arrangement that was never written down. These become serious problems when a relationship goes sideways. The language in your agreements is what determines who’s right when there’s a dispute. Worker classification is another area where small businesses get caught. Rhode Island and Massachusetts both have specific rules about who qualifies as an independent contractor, and the consequences of getting it wrong can be significant.